I've been a financial journalist for more than 20 years: I've written for most of the national newspapers in the UK (plus a host of magazines and web sites) on topics related to business, economics, finance, property, investment, personal finance and entrepreneurship.
I've held staff jobs at newspapers including The Observer, the Daily and Sunday Express and, most recently, The Independent, where I spent several years as Business Editor managing the newspaper’s business coverage.
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I continue to write for a number of newspapers, including The Independent, where I have a weekly column on topics relating to small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as magazines, web sites and a growing number of corporate clients.

Six British Small Businesses Set For A Budget Bonanza

The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s annual Budget – unveiled by George Osborne this week – is one of the marquee events of the British political calendar, but aside from the snapshot of the macro-economic picture of the country it offers, the detailed policy announcements contained within the lengthy documents often have huge significance for companies large and small. Here’s just six small businesses that are well placed to cash in the Chancellor’s largesse this year.

Funding Circle The peer-to-peer and crowdfunding industries have spent months lobbying the Government to bring their offerings inside the tax-free individual savings account net and their efforts have paid off. From July, loans made on these platforms will become eligible for inclusion within an Isa. That makes the returns on them more attractive overnight, since there will be no tax to pay, but even more important is the fact that Isa inclusion effectively gives a new sector an official Government seal of approval. As the fastest-growing player in the industry, Funding Circle stands to reap the benefits.

Bilfinger Berger Global Infrastructure Retail investors in the UK have traditionally struggled to get exposure to inaccessible asset classes such as infrastructure. But in recent years, a crop of closed-end funds have sprung up to offer a pooled investment approach to those attracted to the long-term reliable income offered by infrastructure – one of these funds, Bilfinger Berger Global Infrastructure, looks like being a major Budget beneficiary. It is part of the consortium appointed as preferred bidder for the Mersey Gateway Bridge in the North-West of England, for which the Chancellor has just approved guarantees worth up to £270m.

Annuity Direct At first sight, the Treasury’s decision to abolish the rules that force most people to convert private pensions into an annuity on retirement looks to spell bad news for a financial advice firm that specialises in helping people with annuity purchases. On the contrary, however. For one thing, large numbers of savers will still continue to buy an annuity. And even more importantly, the new rules are also expected to include provisions that effectively require people to take financial advice on their pension savings when they reach retirement. Step forward Annuity Direct.

Brewdog Who doesn’t like a politician who makes it cheaper for people to drink? Tax on beer had been rising for years but the penny reduction in the tax just announced by the Chancellor is the second such cut in successive budgets. One of Britain’s most innovative brewers, Brewdog, is especially well-placed to benefit – an innovative approach to raising finance, selling equity to customers, has seen the specialist brewer grow very rapidly in recent years. The Scottish company now sells its beers throughout the UK – and will be able to flog even more thanks to the Chancellor.

Westomatic Even before George Osborne stood up in the House of Commons to unveil the detail of his Budget, he was tweeting pictures of one of his innovations – a new £1 coin he hopes counterfeiters will find it much harder to forge. The introduction of the new coin in 2017 is good news for the vending machine industry, which will get paid to retrofit machines with equipment accepting the new coinage, or be asked to supply new models. Westomatic, based in the South West of England, has been in the vending business for almost 50 years, sources almost all of its components from British firms, and could be well-placed to benefit from the new coins.

Gala Bingo Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has been roundly attacked as patronising and out of touch for crowing about a cut in bingo tax that he reckons will appeal to working families, but the reduction will do the industry the power of good and its leading lights are jumping for joy. Gala Bingo is currently owned by the bookmaking business Gala Coral, but it has repeatedly been linked with a deal to sell of the bingo business, comprising 137 clubs around the country. The Budget is likely to have added to its valuation.

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